Page 108 of Sinful Mates

He wasn’t the only fucking one. I felt tight, out of breath, dizzy. On the damn verge of a panic attack. One blow and my world would shatter. I tugged at my shirt for the twentieth time in five minutes, gaining Aaliyah’s glance.

Palms flat, Slade leaned on the table, more monster than man. Teeth bared, shadows chasing across his features, lines slashed through his forehead, eyes as dark as midnight. One thought pumped through his veins. Vengeance, swift, merciless, and precise. Leave no prisoners, no one alive to tell the tale, no one to return another assault.

Nervous chatter echoed throughout the room and Slade quieted it with a rough slam of his gavel, every eye going to him. “They just arrested Zethan for murder.” Our president struggled to keep his voice from shaking the clubhouse down.

Enraged murmurs went around the room. Not everyone was present. Some were working in our various businesses.

Aaliyah sat beside him with Castor on his other side, doing her best to bring Slade’s soaring temper down.

“The children are outside,” she whispered to him, and he took a long, heavy breath, and we all felt the fire cool a few degrees.

Slade was very careful with Mia around, only raising his voice when she acted bratty and wouldn’t do as she was told. Clever kid caught on pretty quickly and learned not to misbehave around him or get theangry voice of a godbaring down on her.

“We expected this might happen.” Slade pinched the corner of his mouth, leaving red lines from the force he applied. “Just not after Hacker released the dirt on the cops and their friends.”

Hacker was one of Castor’s many nicknames. Bird Boy. Genius. To name a few.

“We can’t take this lying down anymore.” Slade’s voice sliced with every word. “I’ve lost my enforcer, and I anticipate more of us will go the same way.”

Heat in the room went up several degrees and this time, it wasn’t the president’s doing. Dots pricked the corners of my vision and the room swirled.

“They’re coming for you,”my demons hissed, then laughed to add insult to injury.

“Shut up!” I shouted, gripping my hair, longer now that it had grown out.

Aaliyah’s chair fell backward. “Alaric?”

Eighteen pairs of eyes burned on my skin like hot coals.

My mate caught me by the shoulders, Castor as well by his scent. Calming magick trickled into me and my demons shrieked, retreating into the darkness. Air reached my lungs as I gasped, dragging in more. Men, a table, wooden walls came into sharper focus as the spinning diminished.

Slade moved to my side, putting a hand on my arm. “You good? Do you need a minute?”

I wiped sweat from my forehead. “I… I think so.”

“Let me know if you need a break.”

“I’m okay.” I ignored the concerned glances my way, fisting my hands beneath the table to hold onto the rest of my sanity.

Aaliyah sank into my lap, and I banded my arms around her, soaking in her comfort and security.

“It’s okay, my love,” she whispered, nuzzling my neck with her nose.

Slade’s gaze switched between me and the congregated men. “I want to assure you that this is no one’s fault. We’ve all been on our best fucking behavior. Hell, if we were kids, Santa would deliver us presents!”

“Except me,” Castor threw in.

“Fucking Hacker’s on Santa’s naughty list!” Benny pitched in for the joke and half the men chuckled.

Aaliyah’s lips smiled against my neck and her murmur echoed on the bond. The Christmas spirit was still alive, but not well, and if anything else went wrong, its small flame would go out.

Slade poured his own whisky for once without my aid. “These cunts will keep taking it up a notch until they’ve arrested every last one of us.” His hard stare was enough to crack stone. “For fuck’s sake, if anyone mentions killing a pig then I’ll throw you through the glass.”

Half the room nervously laughed.

“I have a proposal for you all and we need to act fast. I’m putting it to the floor, ‘cause I want everyone to be onboard with this decision when it’s our asses on the line.

More grumbles went around the room.

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